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Monday, September 30, 2013

Going out for lunch to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday just called for a simple sundress. Summer weather can last well into October here in Northern California, so this kind of outfit isn't terribly unusual. It was particularly pleasant, tho' to have a weekday gathering as an excuse for it.

To further the family theme, I'm wearing a bracelet that reminds me of my Chinese grandfather who played Mahjong.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

My second of four chemo treatments fell on Talk Like a Pirate Day, so I decided to wear a cute little pink tricorn (that went quite well with my black & pink wig), plus a pirate-y hitched-up skirt & a lot of skull jewelry. Gotta look good to feel good!

Now I have to plan themes for the next two treatments. The last one falls on Halloween day, so of course I have to go extra spooky & outrageous. But no idea what to do for the middle one. Hopefully I'll get inspired in the next few weeks.

Monday, September 23, 2013

In my last post, I said my hair was going. Well, I didn't lie. That short cut was merely a stop-gap measure, a way to preserve the long ponytails for later, at best. Hair was falling out like crazy, shedding like a long-haired dog in summer, making a mess & just generally being annoying.

So I had to shave it off. Or, to be more accurate, I asked my dear husband to shave it off, since I couldn't reach everywhere, plus I'd have had to do it without my glasses on & that way lies madness. He was very brave & did an excellent job. Now my head is all velvety stubble, which the cat enjoys rubbing his little face against.

I've also been wearing my wig out & about. It feels fine, as comfortable as wearing a wig over hair (tho' different, kind of prickly at first, then it's pleasantly cooler than wigs used to feel). However, I should remember to do my brows because the wig's black hair is even darker than my natural black hair. That is, while I still have brows!

Since I'm not working & am on disability, I've revived my virtual garage sale & added some things I made & others made specifically to sell, plus I tried to get better pictures of some older items. Just doing this in the few days I had when I felt OK, & I'll only be able to ship once a week. But please take a look & I hope you'll find something you like! Or you can always donate a little something via the button on the left sidebar. I really appreciate your support :)

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Right on schedule, my hair has started to come out due to chemo. It's like normal hair shedding when you brush your hair, except TONS more. So to make it it a little easier, I finally got a haircut. Also, I really wanted to save some lengths of my hair to use later to either make into historical hairpieces or rats (don't laugh, real hair makes the best, most expensive wigs & pieces! it's a hot commodity :).

I expect the rest of my hair will fall out in the next week or so. It's going pretty fast now. My second (of four) chemo treatments is in a week, & that will surely kill the rest of the hair. I'm not finding it particularly traumatic, but it does look kind of creepy & weird to see so much of my own hair coming out so fast, all at once. It's definitely not normal. I may get tired of the shedding & just shave it off like a lot of women do.

My energy levels are unfortunately quite shot. I can't use the computer for very long in one sitting, so I made the tough decision to stop working during chemo. No more office fashions for a couple months, but I'll keep posting when I can.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Haven't gone back to the office yet, but here's an outfit from earlier -- I kind of feel like a gypsy at my job because I carry all my gear around in a bag & roam from desk to desk each time I go into work. But on this day, I dressed with a gypsy-ish feel too.

Friday, September 6, 2013

I'm slowly recovering from chemo round 1 of 4 (it wasn't fun, but I'm sure it could have been worse). Didn't go into the office this week, so no outfits. But I've been reading blogs & such when I have the brain power. Here are three that really stood out:

The Cost of Handmade, Revisited -- Victoria breaks down why her gorgeous, highly decorated parasols cost what they do. Handmade items on Etsy, Artfire, & elsewhere may seem like a budget option, but remember that sometimes there really is an individual artisan behind the work. Materials & labor add up fast.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

This probably isn't the type of "special occasion" most people would commemorate, but I had to. And coincidentally, Sophistique Noir's September theme came up, so why not join in?

Because of course I had to document my first of four chemo treatments. I wanted to dress up a bit, comfortable but gothy, not going to wear sloppy PJs or anything too lazy. I needed to look as good as I could to take on this thing.

Corporate + Goth?

Yes indeed, goths can grow up and work in big corporations. If you're a young person wondering if you can work a Real Job while not totally sacrificing your dark alternative fashion sense, this is the place for you. Or if you're simply wondering how gothic & other subcultural folks can look "professional" in an office setting, welcome to my little fashion show.